Slat-and-wire-fence machine.



Patented. Nov. l4, I899.

M. PLUMMER. SLATAND WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

(Application filed June 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK PLUMMER, OF MINERAL SPRINGS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE D. DAVIS, OF OASSVILLE, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,840, dated November 14, 1899. Application filed June 6, 1899, Serial No. 719,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARK PLUMMER, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Mineral Springs, in the county of Barry and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Fence-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fence-machines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of fence-machines and to provide asimple, inexpensive, and efficient one which will be light, strong, durable, and easily handled and which will be adapted for twisting tie-wires around horizontal strands of fence-wires for securing pickets to the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character adapted to have its twister-wheels readily adjusted to correspond to the position of the fence-wire and capable of being readily applied to the latter without removing its sprocket-chain, whereby the machine will be adapted for repairing fences and for operating on fencewires which have been stretched and stapled or otherwise secured to fence-posts.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully'described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fence-machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a hori- 'zontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the bearing-brackets.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.

1 designates a standard or bar L-shaped in cross-section, constructed of steel or iron or other suitable material and forming the frame for supporting the wire=twisting mechanism, and the said standard or bar, which may be constructed of any length for supporting any desired number of twister-wheels 2, is provided at its upper end with a handle 3, which is adapted to be grasped by the operator. Mounted upon the standard are bearing-brackets 4 and 5, provided with substantially L-shaped shanks or inner portions new ing L -shaped slots or openings 5, which receive and conform to the configuration of the bar or standard, and each bracket is provided with a clamping-screw 6, mounted in a threaded perforation of the rear portion of the bracket and arranged to engage the adjacent face of the standard, whereby the brackets are secured at the desired adjustment and are adapted to be positioned relative to the fence-wires to be operated on by the wiretwisting mechanism.

Each of the bearing-brackets at is provided at its outer end with a ring 7, forming a hearing for a twister-wheel 2 and provided with a slot 8 for the introduction and removal of the fence and tie wires. Each twister-wheel 2 is provided with a hub portion 9 and a removable plate 10, the hub portion being arranged in the opening of the ring and theplate 10 being secured to the hub portion and engaging the inner or rear face of the bracket, whereby the twister-wheel is retained in the hearing. The twister-wheel is provided with diametrically oppositely disposed slots 11 and 12, adapted to receive a fence-wire and a tie-wire and extending inward from the periphery of the twisterwheel. The slot 11, which is longer than the slot 12, extends to a point slightly beyond the center of the twisterwheel to arrange the fence-wire at the center thereof, so that the twister-wheel may be rotated without twisting the fence-wire. The slot 12, which receives the tie-wire, extends inward approximately one-third of the diameter of the twister-wheel, and as these slots are adapted to register with the entrance-slot 8 of the bearing-bracket the wires may be readily engaged with and disengaged from the twister-wheel. The said slots 11 and 12 extend through the body portion of the twisterwheel, the hub portion, and the removable plate. The twister-wheels are provided at their peripheries with sprocket-teeth and are operated by a sprocket-chain 13, meshing with the twister-wheels at the inner sides thereof, as clearly shown in Fig.1 of the accompanying drawings, whereby both the fence-wires and the tie-wires may be introduced into the slots of the twister-wheel without necessitating the removal of the sprocketchain. This arrangement enables the machine to operate on fence-wires which have been stretched and are stapled or otherwise secured to fence-posts, and it adapts it for repairing broken fences.

The bearing-brackets 5 are provided with journals or pivots 14, upon which are mounted sprocket-pinions 15, which are located at opposite sides of the twister-wheels and are disposed at sufficient intervals to preserve the proper tension 011 the chain. In operating on fence-wires which are close together several twister-wheels may be arranged contiguous to each other without any intervening sprocket-pinions, and any number of twisterwheels may be readily employed, as will be apparent. The sprocket-pinions are retained on the pivots or journals of the brackets 5 by keys or any other suitable fastening devices, and by adjusting the end brackets the tension may be readily regulated. The intermediate sprocket-pinions maintain the chain in mesh with the twister-wheels and insure a positive operation of all the twisters.

The chain is driven by a master sprocketwheel 16, mounted on a bracket 17, constructed similar to those before described, except that the sprocket-wheel is not slotted and is held within the continuously-walled ring on the bracket, and a suitable crank-handle 18 is connected with the sprocket-wheel for operating the machine. By secu ringthe brackets to the standard with their smooth sides close to and parallel with the smooth side of the standard the flat portion of the standard is turned almost in a line with the bearings of the sprocket wheels and pinions on one side and the master-wheel on the other, and the tendency of the chain to bend the standard is counteracted, as the rib is upon the side of the standard opposite to the chain.

It will be seen that the fence-machine is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and that as the L-shaped bearingbrackets extend entirely around the standard or bar they may be made exceedingly light without impairing their strength or efficiency, and by this construction a machine may be made sufficiently light to be convenientlyhandled. The chain is arranged at the inner edges of all of the twister-Wheels, and the slots which extend inward from the peripheries of the twister-wheels are adapted to register with the entrance slots or openings of the bearing-rings of the brackets, so that the fence and tie wires maybe arranged Within the machine Without necessitating the removal of the sprocket-chain.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claim may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is The combination, with an L-shaped standard, the upper end of which forms a handle, of a series of brackets thereon, one end of each of the brackets being provided with an enlargement upon one side and an L-shaped perforation through the enlargement, the opposite ends of the sprocket bearing-brackets being each provided with a pivot and the corresponding ends of the twister bearing-brackets provided with a ring, the wall of each ring except one being slotted, the smooth surface of the bracket being upon and parallel with the smooth side of the standard, a set-screw in each bracket for adjustably securing the same upon the standard, a sprocket-pinion upon each pivot, a hub within each ring, one side of which is provided with a sprocket-rim and the other side is provided with a movable plate, each of the hubs and plates except the one within the continuous walled ring being provided with diametrically opposite radial slots, a crank upon the unslotted hub, and a chain around and engaging with said hubs and pinions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARK PLUMMER.

\Vitnesses:

'1. I. FROST, W. H. MARTIN. 

